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<div style="text-align:center;"><h1>The Home Office</h1>
<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/stitch3.jpg"><img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/stitch3_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a></div>

<h2>Overview</h2>
What do you mean, excessive?  Doesn't <i>your</i> living room look like this? <br /><br />

This page was created in an attempt to centralize the information about my home office so I don't have to keep linking to disparate 
locations, and to provide some explanation in an attempt to reduce repetition.  That is to say, even in real life, I like to refactor 
repetitive operations into common methods. <br /><br />

<b>To the left: </b> <ul>
	<li>The laptop is used mostly for experimentation, such as with alternate operating systems and hardware sandboxing. I don't 
		"mobilize" as often as I used to. Generic exteral mouse:  I hate TrackPads.</li>
	<li>The 1080p videocamera is used for recording things I want to say on YouTube, often as video responses or for a side project.
		I also take it around town for other reasons, such as recording a friend's kid's hockey games.</li>
	<li>The beige keyboard is an alternate (PS/2) input for the workstation. During early boot processes, the computer refuses
		to recognize the USB <a href="http://www.daskeyboard.com/specifications.php">Däs Keyboard Ultimate</a>, so I need this one for 
		BIOS access, boot menu selections, and aborting disk checks. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a ten-foot PS/2 cord, so I have it 
		wired into a KVM that sits behind the monitors.  I use the KVM exclusively as an extension cord at this point.</li>
</ul>
<b>In the middle:</b><ul>
	<li>The external DVD drive is because I don't want to walk all the way over to the far side of the server rack just to switch discs.</li>
	<li>On the wall I have assorted accolades and reference material such as Linux CLI commands and the Comcast TV channel lineup.</li>
	<li>Workstation "left" speaker and server "right" speaker</li>
	<li>Everyone needs a trash can nearby. Don't lie.</li>
</ul>
<b>To the right:</b><ul>
	<li>Monitors, and lots of them: 19", 20", 22", 22", 19", 26"</li>
	<li>The middle keyboard (Das Keyboard) is connected to the server. The server <i>also</i> has an alternate PS/2 keyboard 
		installed, but that's in the server rack. I suppose I might as well plug the KVM into the server as well (sigh).</li>
	<li>The right keyboard (Das Keyboard) is connected to the workstation and is where I spend most of my time.</li>
	<li>Logitech G5 mouse. Great form, balance, and weight. I keep the weight cartridge full with 8 4.5g weights.</li>
	<li>My Old Man Chair. 200 thread count microfiber, good padding, very adjustable. Cheap ($200?) and comfortable.</li>
	<li>Remotes: Cable, TV, projector, custom lighting system</li>
	<li>Workstation "right" speaker and server "left" speaker</li>
	<li>The black and orange cloths are for wiping down the screens and shiny Das Keyboards.</li>
	<li>In the background: The <a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/Post.aspx?Title=The+Great+Home+Office+Rewiring+Project+of+2010+4+-+Phase+2+Complete">server rack</a>!</li>
	<li>Bottom right: End table used for kicking my feet up when watching <a href="http://www.hulu.com">Hulu</a> or other media on the TV screen. Occasionally holds snacks.</li>
</ul><br />

<h2>Why all the Monitors?</h2>
On many occasions, I have been asked why I have so many monitors. I characteristically respond with a phrase I once coined for a 
project: <br /><br />

<center><div style="padding: 10px; border:none; text-align:center; background-color: #aaa; color: #000; width: 250px;">Because two is never enough.  <br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Kevin Connolly</div></center> <br />

Specifically, the main benefits of this setup are: <ul>
	<li>The more pixels you have, the more productive you are.  Several major studies have confirmed this.</li>
	<li>Adding more monitors is cheaper than limiting myself to two or three 30" screens. I operate in 8004x1680 resolution, and 30" 
		screens are really expensive. My desktop is eight feet wide.</li>
	<li>I really don't like it when a window hides behind another window.  I want to see them all at once, and I tend to have 30-40 
		windows open simultaneously.</li>
	<li>Organizing everything around a central pivot reduces <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneakernet">sneakernet</a> 
		activity, which optimizes my workflows. To coin a phrase, "Multitasking is five computers and a swivel chair."</li>
	<li>Portrait mode provides more text (code and web content) on a screen, but Landscape mode is better for games, video, and 
		pictures. Therefore, since I use all of those media, it makes sense to have a mix of both.</li>
</ul>



The home office setup has 8 screens total: 5 on the Workstation, 1 on the laptop, 1 projector, and a real-life old-school 
<i>Television</i>. You remember those, right?  <br /><br />

<div style="text-align:center; width: 100%; background-color: #ababab;">
	<h2>Projector (Old Pictures):</h2>
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/pivot-dark.jpg">
		<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/pivot-dark_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/projector-back2.jpg">
		<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/projector-back2_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
</div>

The projector is hooked into the <a href="About.aspx">Server</a> and is used for movie watching.  The server also directs its 
secondary output to the VGA In port on the TV for troubleshooting, as these times really aren't worth firing up the projector. The 
projector is aimed at the wall behind me and provides a 96" (8') screen. When I want to enjoy a movie, I simply turn around and enjoy 
a theater experience from the central pivot.  <br /> <br />

The taller set of speakers is connected to the server for these times. The positions are reversed (i.e. left speaker to the right 
of the screens) so they align correctly when I'm turned around.  These images are from the previous monitor arrangement, but still 
valid as the projector is still in the same place and alignment.  I rearranged the monitors after one of them died.<br /><br /><br /><br />

<div style="text-align:center;">
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4607.jpg">
		<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4607_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4592.jpg">
		<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4592_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
</div>
	
I spend the vast majority of my time on the workstation; basically all my free time and any chance I get to work from home. It features six screens which I have collected over the years. I once 
decided to replace them all with the same model, two at a time. I bought the first two (Dell 2208WFPt 22" widescreens), but when I went to order the next two, the model had been discontinued. And of course
Dell decided to make neither 2209WFPs nor 2210WFPs. So now I have to wait until I'm ready to buy all six at once so they'll finally one day all line up properly. See how the bezels are all misaligned? 
I hate that.<br /><br />

<h2>Desk Layout</h2>

Having experimented with many physical layouts, I have concluded that the "U" configuration is optimal for my living room.  I would
prefer a "G" (i.e. an "O" but with a small piece missing for entry and exits), but my living room is only eight feet in one dimension.
<br /><br /><br />

<h2>Lighting</h2>
<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4603.jpg">
	<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4603_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4604.jpg">
	<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4604_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4605.jpg">
	<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4605_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a> 
<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4596.jpg">
	<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapterconfiguration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/computers/Office/DSCN4596_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a> 
<br /><br />
In early May, I <a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/Post.aspx?Title=The+Great+Home+Office+Rewiring+Project+of+2010+Complete">rewired</a>
the whole home office area, which was subsequently named 
<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/Post.aspx?Title=LifeHacker+Featured+Workspace">LifeHacker's Featured Workspace</a>. Since then, I
have moved the blue lights overhead to provide a more useful light instead of being simply a decoration. Mostly, I just use the low
light provided by all the monitors and the cathodes in the computers themselves, but occasionally I need more light to read a document
or work on a project. In those cases, I'll turn on the overhead blue lights. If I need even more, then and only then will I turn on
the actual room lighting. <br /><br />

There are additional lights in the server rack on this same circuit.  I turn them on for working in the server rack as well. <br /><br />

The lights are technically a computer accessory (i.e. are supposed to be installed <i>inside a computer</i>), so I hooked them into
a computer power supply and short-circuited the ATX power connector so it thinks the power switch is always pressed in. As a result
of using this system, a series of Molex power splitters and case expansion slot covers is left hanging from the ceiling like an 
aggregate wiring harness.<br /><br />

The power supply, in turn, is controlled through a remote. <br /><br />

<div style="text-align:center; width: 100%; background-color: #ababab;">
	<h2>Wiring (Old Pictures):</h2>
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/DSCN4155.jpg">
		<img width="350" alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/DSCN4155_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/DSCN4157.jpg">
		<img alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/DSCN4157_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
</div><br />

Not one wire; not one cord, touches the floor.  Anywhere. Kinda looks like some Mad Scientist's lab, doesn't it?  Well, it kinda is.
<br /><br />


<div style="text-align:center; width: 100%; background-color: #ababab;">
	<h2>19" Server Rack (Old Pictures):</h2>
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/rack1done.jpg">
		<img width="350" alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/rack1done_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
	<a href="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/front.jpg">
		<img width="350" alt="Multimon home office via homogeneous multi-adapter configuration, windows 7 , windows server, home server rack, laptop, projector, home theater, media center, media server, home server" src="http://www.kconnolly.net/pics/rewire/after/front_sm.jpg" style="padding: 10px; border:none;" /></a>
</div><br />

Oh yeah, I have a 42U server rack in my living room. Don't you? Once upon a time, I was browsing for half-height server racks. I 
figured a full 42U rack would be overkill, and boy was I right. I bought this bad boy from a materials salvager for $150, about 10% of 
its original retail price. Little did I realize at the time what it would be like to move this thing into and out of third-floor 
apartments. Without an elevator. This was the <i>smallest rack the guy had</i>. I've since removed both doors for easier access, 
which subsequently had a slight impact on the weight (Feels like approx 50kg instead of 55kg (although the principal inconvenience 
isn't the weight - it's the awkwardness (It's taller than I am (And I'm pretty tall.)!))). Since then, I have endeavored to use 
rackmount hardware as much as feasible to alleviate the space taken up by all this stuff. Vertical is the way to go.<br /><br />

Racked units from bottom to top: <ul>
	<li><b><i>KC1</i>, the workstation: </b> Intel Q6600 Kentsfield Quad Core, 8GB RAM, 150GB Raptor C:, 1TB Hitachi Deskstar B:, 
		three (3x) ATI Radeon HD 4670's, six (6x) monitors, Windows 7 Ultimate. How many <i>Rack mounted</i>, modded, multimon rigs 
		have you ever seen?</li>
	<li><b><i>KCWS</i>, the server: </b> Intel Q6600 Kentsfield Quad Core, 8GB RAM, 150GB Velociraptor C:, 13 HDDS = 10.15 TB (9.2 TiB), 
		ATI Radeon X1650 (For media and crash carting), Projector, <a href="http://kconnolly.net/Post.aspx?Title=Microsoft%20Accidentally%20Gives%20me%20a%20TechNet%20Subscription">Windows Server 2008 Enterprise</a>. </li>
	<li><b><i>Brother HL-21 </i>Laser Printer: </b> Bought this because I figured it would be smart to print out Internet coupons 
		and it would pay for itself. Hasn't happened yet, but it's saved me a few trips to Kinko's. Printer is hooked into the Server, 
		which shares it to the LAN.</li>
	<li><i><b>Network and Projector Shelf:</b></i> Rear, projector. Front: Networking stack. </li>
</ul>

The workstation's second drive is B: because D: thru O: are mapped directly to the D: thru O: drives on the Server. The server does 
<i>not</i> run Active Directory (Domain Controller). I played around with it and decided I don't want any single point of failure 
that can take down my whole network. There is no WiFi, because I'm always sitting at my desk and may as well reap the benefits of 
Gigabit. <br /><br />

What do I need all this stuff for?  Well, I don't. I <i>want</i> this stuff; though it certainly helps me to be better at my <a href="Resume.aspx">job</a> and 
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9wD-cUSDVQ">hobbies</a>. Even with all this, my electric bill is somehow a piddly $60-70 / mo.<br /><br />

Compulsory <a href="mailto:kevin@kconnolly.net">Email Me</a> link. Article created 03 Apr 2010; updated 03 Jun 2010. <br /><br />
<hr />
	Credit where credit is due: Some of these pics show I had <a href="http://www.stefandidak.com/office/">Stefan Didak's home 
	office</a>, an office whose coolness mine can only hope to provide a cheap emulation of, open at the time. It had some influence 
	on the layout of this page.  I have no idea where I found the wallpaper on my screens, but I didn't take it myself.
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